New research has revealed the threat Amazon’s arrival in Australia could pose for local retailers.
A Nielsen survey has found that 75 per cent of Australians aged 18+ are interested in Amazon Australia, while 56 per cent said they were likely to purchase from its Australian site.
A whopping 45 per cent also said they would pay to become an Amazon Prime member in order to receive special deals, discounts and delivery perks.
The products Australians are most likely to buy from a local Amazon site include electronic goods (67 per cent), books (61 per cent) and clothing (59 per cent).
Nielsen Omnibus research shows that Australians are already choosing to spend their dollars with Amazon.
The online giant’s US site converts almost one in two Australian visitors (49 per cent) into sales. This is the fourth highest conversion rate behind eBay (79 per cent), Amazon’s The Book Depository (74 per cent) and local fashion retailer The Iconic (53 per cent).
According to Megan Treston, director – retailer services at Nielsen Australia, Amazon’s arrival presents clear benefits to consumers with access to more diverse online retailing options.
“While still relatively small in this market, online shopping continues to grow from strength-to-strength,” she said.
“You only need to look at the development in shopping websites to see this playing out: customer experience, delivery options, and the general morphing between bricks and mortar and online, with services such as ‘click and collect’.”
Treston said she believes customers will continue to embrace the digital landscape for research and purchasing, and it is now increasingly important that retailers make their online experience transparent, with easy to access information.
“Value, personalised customer experience and convenience will all be keys to success,” she said.
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